The Liberal Democrats Election Manifesto commits to “invest in cultural capital and nurture the next generation of talent.”
Lib Dems manifesto dedicates section 17 to Culture, Media and Sport, which opens with the statement:
“The UK’s rich and vibrant cultural heritage is a national treasure. Our creative and tourism industries contribute billions of pounds to our economy and employ millions of people. Art, music, drama and sports bring people together. They are an essential part of a thriving society.”
While there is no detail on level of investment they are planning, their manifesto makes the following relevant pledges that are relevant to Outdoor Arts:
- Promote creative skills, address the barriers to finance faced by small businesses, and support modern and flexible patent, copyright and licensing rules.
- Negotiate free and simple short-term travel arrangements for UK artists to perform in the EU, and European artists to perform in the UK.
- Establish creative enterprise zones to grow and regenerate the cultural output of areas across the UK.
- Upgrade the status of tourism in government with a dedicated Minister of State for Tourism and Hospitality.
- Boost funding for cultural and creative projects by applying to participate fully in Creative Europe.
- Pass a comprehensive ‘Anti-SLAPP Law’ to provide robust protection for free speech, whistleblowers and media scrutiny against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.
- Protect sports and arts funding via the National Lottery.
Under the International section of their manifesto, Lib Dems also openly states their ambitions for UK to rejoin EU:
“All these measures will help to restore the British economy and the prosperity and opportunities of its citizens, and are also essential steps on the road to EU membership, which remains our longer-term objective.”
